John b



(No Model.) l

J. B. CLEAVBLAND. l

WIRE STRETGHBR.

No. 366,076. vPatented Jully 5, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JOHN B. OLEAVELAND, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

WlREnSTRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,076, dated July 5, 1887.

Serial No. 222,089. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may con/cern.'

Be it known that l, JOHN B. GLEAVELAND, acitizen ot' the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vii'eStretchers, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to an improvement in a wire-stretcher for which Patent No. 338,486 was issued to me March 23, 1886.

The object of my improvement is to provide a Wire-stretcher-of the same class which may be applied to the fencepost without making holes through the post, and which will be cheaper and more convenient to manufacture than my former invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l is a'plan. tion.

A is a bracket formed of a continuous strip of wroughtiron bent to form a loop, a, adapted to embrace the post b and the arms c d.

E is a windlass having at opposite ends cylindrical journalsf and g and its central portion forming a spool having flanges 71, and lc, one of which is made angular in form, having parallel faces adapted to be seized between thejaws of a wrench for the purpose of turning the windlass, The outer side of iiange h is provided with ratchet-teeth i, having backwardly-inelined retaining-faces j, for the purpose of allowing the windlass to turn backward under certain conditions, as hereinafter explained. A

F is a cast plate forming a bearing for the windlass-journal f, and having on one side ratchet-teeth corresponding to those on the windlass and on the other side lugs Z Z, which engage the edges of the arm c of bracket A, and serve to hold the plate in a fixed relation thereto. Journal g has a bearing in arm d, and m is a stiff spiral spring` slipped over the Fig. 2 is a vertical secjournal, its ends resting between the inside of arm d and iiange 7c, the journal extending through the arm d and having its outer end covered by the hollow washer a, the arrangement being such that arm d and the washer may move longitudinally on the journalg. 4

L is an ordinary bolt passing loosely through arms c d, the windlass E, and washer n, and secured in place by the nut 1). Said bolt serves to hold the windlass in place, and also as a clamp to compress spring m, and thereby yielding engagement with the ratchet-teetl1 on plate F. racket A is clamped in any desired position on the post by a bolt and nut, r. The fence-wire s is secured to the windlass by inserting the end of the wire in a hole, t, in the spool.

The operation of my device is as follows:A

The device having been secured to a corner post, or one of the principal posts of a line of fence, and the wire being secured :at one end to a distant post, the other end of the wire is secured to the windlass, as above described. rIhe windlass is now turned by means of a wrench applied to flange h, thus winding the slack Wire upon the spool until sufficiently taut, the spring 'la yielding to allow the ratchet-teeth oi' the windlass to ride over those of plate F, and the windlass being prevented frorn turning backward by the `inclined retaining-faces j of the ratchet until an extra strain is brought on the wire-as the contraction of the wire in cold weather-when the spring m will again yield and allow the wire to unwind, as described in my former above-mentioned patent. By this mode of construct-ion the windlass, with its ratchetteeth, may be easily molded and cast in one piece, and ordinary bolts may be used in the windlass axis, the whole device forming a cheaper and more satisfactory wire-stretcher than that shown in my former patent.

I claim as my inventionl force the ratchet-teeth on the flange h into a i l. In a wire-stretcher,. the combination of the bracket adapted to be secured to a post, the windlass having at opposite ends cylindrical journals mounted in said bracket, and having also flange k and angular ratchetfaced flange h, plate F, hollow washer n, spring m, bolt L, and nut p, all arranged to co-operate substantially as specified.

2. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of the bracket A, consisting of a single piece of metal bent to forni the loop mand arms c and d, bolt i', the windlass having at opposite ends cylindrical journals mounted in said bracket, and having also flange. 7c and angular ratchet-faced flange 7L, plate F, hollow Washer n, spring m, bolt L, and nut p, all arranged to cooperate substantially as speci- H. l?. Hoon, M. GARsTEN.

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